bill718
Diamond Member
- Jun 26, 2016
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Unknown to many sports fans, for much of the last decade Ion Tiriac was the richest former professional athlete in the world. His net worth peaked at around $2 billion. Michael Jordan was the second richest athlete with a net worth ranging from $1.5 to $1.9 billion between 2014 and 2019. By 2020, Ion's fortune had dropped nearly in half to $1.2 billion while Michael Jordan's net worth increased to $2.2 billion by April 2020, allowing MJ to earn the title of richest athlete in the world. As a tennis player Tiriac reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 1968. He was a more successful doubles player winning 22 career titles including the French Open in 1970. Tiriac was ranked #19 in doubles tennis in April 1979. He represented Romania in international competition and won Gold medals in singles and mixed doubles at the 1965 Budapest Summer Universidad. He also reached the finals at the Davis Cup in 1969, 1971, and 1972. After retiring from sports Tiriac began managing other players. He immediately became Ilie Năstase's full time coach and eventually went on to coach for superstars such as Mary Joe Fernández, Guillermo Vilas, Marat Safin, Steffi Graf, and Goran Ivanišević. Between 1984 and 1993, Ion personally orchestrated Boris Becker's ascent to become the #1 ranked player in the world (1991). Coaching, Insurance, Auto leasing, advertising, and sports equipment development allowed Tiriac to become the first billionaire sports figure
